http://textpattern.com/?v=4.5.4Sparkling Adventures - Articles - Travels in Western Australiahttp://www.sparklingadventures.com/
A free-range lifeWed, 24 May 2017 12:54:53 GMTA companion for the journey
When we left Perth last week, we picked up our Hobart-based friend Marcus who will travel with us to the Northern Territory. He’s been in WA visiting his brother and was eager to see more of Australia on his way to another relative’s house in Alice Springs.

Marcus rides Wave Rock while Brioni falls off her board.

Each night, Marcus stays in the tent, giving him a break from our oestrogen-filled bus!

Although we watch carefully as we cross the Nullarbor, we still don't see any camels.

This is the first time Marcus has visited this part of our huge country, and since I've been here (once) before, I'm happy to show him the sights.

At several places along the Nullarbor, we pull over to admire the high cliffs that form the Great Australian Bight.

We’re covering a lot of kilometres in a short amount of time, and it’s a treat to be able to share the driving with another adult. The girls love playing with Marcus and are comfortable with him being in our small space.

Thanks for coming along for the ride, Marcus!

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1908
Sun, 11 Aug 2013 12:23:38 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-08-16:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/c76b2830fdc1dfd8aec7f51dd632fd58Lucky Bay
Lucky Bay is a spectacular camping ground 60km east of Esperance on the southern coast of WA within Cape Le Grand National Park. We stopped here for a week in April, and the girls were thrilled to return to what Brioni calls “my favourite place in the whole world”.

Coming around the bend in the road, this is the view that greets you at Lucky Bay.

The fine white sand beach is contrasted by the huge granite boulders at either end of the bay.

The water is so clear here, and dolphins often come into the bay to ride the larger waves.

I love the remoteness of Lucky Bay — mobile-phone access is only possible if I climb the tall granite mountain that overlooks the bay. The girls love the adventures they can have on the beach and exploring the granite rock formations. The rangers and campground hosts are friendly, and even the wildlife regularly hops through camp to see if anyone has left food scraps out.

When we stopped here in April, the girls insisted it was still warm enough to go swimming.

Kangaroos come out on the beach to scavenge fish scraps from the top of the waves.

The kangaroos are technically wild but are so used to visitors to Lucky Bay that they don't hop away if they're approached slowly and carefully.

Lucky Bay is maintained by national park rangers, and minimal camping fees apply. Unlike most WA national parks, this camping ground has solar hot showers as well as designated camping/parking sites, bbq facilities, toilets and picnic areas. Minimal recycling facilities are offered, which is a nice change from most places, and the quickly-filled bag of aluminium cans is emptied regularly.

From Lucky Bay, a short walk through the bush and boulders leads to the picturesque Thistle Cove.

Whistling Rock stands guard at Thistle Cove. We think it looks like a whale breaching with its baby on its back.

When we leave Lucky Bay tomorrow, it’s with the promise to ourselves that we’ll come back next time we’re in the state. It’s a peaceful driver-reviver stop after the Nullarbor Plain and a great introduction to the beauty of Western Australia!

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1907
Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:05:29 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-08-16:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/04b33a3b38745fe0738bc72d345182ccWave Rock and the Humps
Western Australia has a number of large granite rock formations — similar to Uluru in the Northern Territory. One part of a large isolated rock has been weathered in a spectacular fashion so that it looks like a huge breaking wave. Today we stopped by Wave Rock for a look and a climb.

The town of Hyden is located close to Wave Rock and caters for the large numbers of visitors that pass through on the way to the national landmark.

Lana enjoys the run on the path that leads to Wave Rock.

The erosion of the side of this huge rock transforms it into a breaking wave.

It doesn't take long for Brioni to climb up the side of the rock. The wall along the top is part of a water-catching structure.

We climb the steps leisurely to reach the top. The dam is used to collect drinking water for the community that lives around Wave Rock.

There's been a lot of rain across this section of the country recently, and it turns everything nicely green.

As well as taking in the landscape around us, I love to bend down and admire the tiny flowers that grow in the moss on top of the rock.

Less than twenty kilometres from Wave Rock, another granite formation — the Humps — rises from the flat plain. As we drove past the rain-soaked fields, past green wheat and fluorescent yellow canola, we could see the rocks rising out of the flat.

One section of the Humps contains a cave with significant Aboriginal rock-art. Although the paintings are fading, the cave is extremely accessible to visitors and signs explain the historical significance of the decorations.

Thanks to the paths, Mulka's Cave is easy to find among the granite boulders.

As the girls play in the cave, I try to imagine living in this space — or even just spending one night in here.

Even though we're covering long stretches of flat, featureless road, occasionally we see something so bizarre we have to stop and investigate it further. We couldn't come up with an alcohol-free story that placed this truck so precariously on top of the rock pile!

Making these stops breaks the long hours of driving. Even though we’ve been visiting places we’ve seen in the past, I’ve found the familiarity of the landmarks is just as appealing as their initial novelty.

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1906
Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:14:13 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-08-16:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/689e07a6f81e36bbe6f3db4f552cb703Tin horses outside Kulin
The stretch of highway on either side of Kulin in southwest Western Australia is possibly the most interesting remote road in Australia. We visited the Tin Horse Highway years ago, and as we headed east across the continent, I knew the girls would appreciate the whimsical metal sculptures made from recycled materials and erected by local landowners.

With a bit of ingenuity, the farming town of Kulin is making a name for itself among travellers.

Reading a book and riding a penny-farthing?

A zebra stands in the shade of some trees.

Creative marketing within the Kulin Shire Council has started an initiative that encourages travellers to promote the Tin Horse Highway through large, high-quality stickers on visitors’ caravans or motorhomes. It’s a novel concept, and from the poster promoting the idea, some travellers have gladly taken up Kulin’s cause to promote the Tin Horse Highway during their travels around Australia!

This sculpture looks more like a deer than a horse.

A racing horse!

Sitting on the dunny, reading Play Horse magazine.

A beer-servicing horse-wench.

The wheat fields don't get plowed by themselves!

A more belligerent horse bucks off its rider.

This "dead cert" is a play on the racing term.

Fillypoussis... perhaps a cousin to Australian tennis player Mark Philippoussis.

Although most of the horse sculptures are fashioned out of metal barrels, there are a couple creative exceptions, like this pair.

In a creek-bed, a seahorse keeps watch.

Kulin has embraced its new status as a must-see on the WA tourist route. It helps that the town is not far from another major attraction — Wave Rock — and the local council has provided facilities to encourage visitors to linger a while (and spend their dollars locally). Public showers (coin-operated for hot water), easily accessible toilet and bbq facilities, a well-maintained playground are combined with a friendly attitude towards travellers (it’s an RV-friendly town). While so many small towns go wrong by charging exorbitant amounts for overnight parking, Kulin is a great example of a town that’s doing right by the nomadic set.

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1905
Thu, 08 Aug 2013 12:53:52 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-08-16:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/561f0dc20421a77be87305b20d552d58Spirit of the streets
Each week, an inclusive community choir practices in a church hall in Perth. Members of Spirit of the Streets include those who are unemployed, homeless, living with mental-health issues, their carers and those who are retired from paid work. It’s an eclectic mix of people who are usually socially disadvantaged, but when they come together and sing, it’s clear that they love music and express themselves with joy!

St Albans in Highgate provides the venue for the community choir to meet and practice.

Looking through the window of the hall, I can see Devo already warming up his guitar.

Joanne sits just inside the entrance of the hall and offers name-tags to all participants.

As well as featuring some original music written by the choristers, the songbooks contain an eclectic mix of folk and contemporary songs by musicians such as Lennon, McCartney, Clapton, Lennox and U2.

Anna stays at the back of the hall and cheerfully makes cups of tea and offers slices of home-made goodies and a friendly chat.

Ken opens the meeting with some announcements. The main choir leader is on holidays, so someone new will be leading the music today.

David introduces himself by singing several of his own compositions before leading us in group song.

By the time Sally leads us in a Maori shanty, we're all standing and swaying to the beat.

I heard about this community choir from my mother who often volunteers at St Albans, and I was welcomed very warmly when I turned up at the practice today. It was a joy to be part of this group — singing with others provides a great sense of belonging, lifts the spirits and sets smiles on all our faces!

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1901
Tue, 30 Jul 2013 12:22:36 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-07-31:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/b647ac85e84ccb33410dd30b10aa73dfBicton bathsIt’s so nice to have a soak in a hot-tub on a chilly winter’s morning, and even better when the hot pool’s big enough for the girls to swim! We first heard whispers about a geothermal hot pool in Perth months ago and today visited the natural artesian mineral pool that sits on the banks of the Swan River in Bicton.

I love hanging on the edge of the hot pool and daydreaming as I watch the river. Of all the hot springs we've visited, this may be the geothermal pool with the best view!

The Melville Water Polo Club has two pools in its small council-owned complex on the river. The pools were originally heated through a heat-exchange system that used the hot waste-water from a sugar-mill located across the river. When the sugar-mill closed down, a bore was drilled and now the naturally-heated water is pumped to the surface and used in a complicated set of brass pipes in the side of the main pool that transfers the heat to the salt water. Another line deposits the mineral water directly into the thermal pool.

The main pool was purpose-built for water polo in 1979.

At one corner of the complex, the mineral pool provides a relaxing soak at temperatures between 35-41°C.

When Cam turns the water on to raise the pool's temperature, it circulates through the pool and out two spouts that massage whoever is sitting below them.

If you’re visiting the Bicton baths in Melville, there are a couple of places to park — on the end Durdham Crescent, off Phillips Street or at the southernmost end of Blackwall Reach Parade. A friend and her daughter cycled along the river to serendipitously join us in the hot pool.

There's a pretty beach on the Swan River just next to the Melville Water Polo Club. It looks like a fantastic place to cool off in summer.

I’m glad we finally got to experience the hot pools in Perth! The girls are keen to keep swimming as much as they can, and discovering a hidden gem like the Bicton Baths makes our outing all the more exciting.

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1900
Mon, 29 Jul 2013 12:47:54 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-07-30:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/5c8026f10f0ed832d16399fcc92cb232Made on the leftPerth feels very far away from the rest of Australia, and to a certain extent, the east coast’s dominant mentality ignores what happens in the west. But they’re the ones missing out! In 2008, a group of independent designers formed Made on the Left to showcase and promote West Australian handmade crafts.

Today we brought our little bus into the city centre to attend Made on the Left’s winter market. The venue was the magnificent State Theatre Centre, overlooking Perth’s central train station.

The staff of MOTL volunteer their time and efforts to promote West Australian talent.

The MOTL markets are held within the halls of the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, a grand, award-winning venue that was opened in 2011.

While the girls browse the jewellery on display, I admire the view of Perth's small CBD through the huge windows.

We wandered leisurely past all the different stalls. So many different items were on offer, it was hard to find favourites. I directed the girls to “keep it in their hearts” if they saw something they really, really liked. This meant that I didn’t have to fend off multiple requests for pretty purchases. Instead, at the end of the market, we could stop and analyse those items that really called to us.

With eighty stallholders spread throughout four levels of the venue, there's enough variety to cater for every taste.

We enjoy looking at all the beautiful things on display. There's so much talent and creativity in this area, and I'm delighted that these small businesses have such a great champion in MOTL!

Made on the Left is like a taste of Etsy in real life. The stall-holders are usually the designers and creators. If there’s something not quite right, a friendly chat will lead to a personalised commission where you can get something to your exact preference.

It’s wonderful that Made on the Left offers these markets to showcase West Australian talent, and it’s time that the rest of Australia takes note of the creativity coming from this side of the continent. If you missed this event and love to invest in local handmade products, mark December 8 on your calendar and get to the next Made on the Left market!

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1898
Sun, 28 Jul 2013 12:23:02 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-07-29:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/045fece372e832289c18da481e902c5eMundo PerdidoEvery now and again, we get invited to an outstanding property where I wonder “What is this place?” Our arrival at Mundo Perdido late yesterday afternoon reminded me how blessed I am to be travelling around, meeting such creative wonderful people and seeing such treasures first-hand.

The letters on the boom gate read "mundo perdido" — the lost world — and it certainly feels like we're entering a different dimension!

Bruce and Sophie Wicksteed have turned their property into a collection of creative expressions. When I asked Bruce about his sculptures, he playfully dismissed it as “just playing with junk”, but I look around the land and feel inspired to make my space more beautiful too!

A huge slinky of terracotta roof-tiles lays in the grass near the driveway.

Bruce has built many sculptures from scavenged objects, and he's placed them around his property.

I love the contrast in the different types of metal used and the way this sphere is placed on a stump.

A larger star-burst sits out the front of the house.

An interesting assortment of industrial tools are scattered across the property, sitting on their own on pedestals of tree-stumps to raise them out of the junk-yard status and into an expression of a creative mind.

In a back paddock, a cruiser waits for passengers to board it via the jetty.

This cow isn't doing a very good job of keeping the grass down!

"Eternity" is carved on a rock and suspended from a rusting metal tripod.

Small gardens at the rear look into back paddocks where kangaroos graze in the early morning.

The residence is warm and welcoming for us, with toys for the girls, chai for me and friends for us all!

We’re staying here for a couple of days, and I’m thankful to be invited to this “lost world” and get a break from city life. I was able to use today for long-overdue modifications in the bus’ wiring system so we now have more 12-volt lights installed. I’m also changing the existing cabinetry to make a permanent home for our new ratty girls, and being on a rural property means I can work freely with tools and equipment spilling out of the bus while the girls play in and out of the house (and bus) with their new friend.

I’m loving being among such beautiful, vibrant people where we share laughter and intimate struggles in equal amounts. Encounters such as these fill me up for the times when I am lonely, for I still haven’t managed to be at peace at being alone.

Thank you so much, Bruce and Sophie (and Maya), for bringing us to your gorgeous home. We are all enjoying it so much, and I am in awe at your magical creativity!

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1893
Mon, 08 Jul 2013 12:30:02 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-07-09:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/879bb322e7ee1aa5b1221e2dfb870d65Naturescape at Kings ParkTake a natural bushland area, add some industrial accessories designed to entice city kids off the footpath and into the wild, and you end up with Naturescape. Today we spent a couple of hours exploring this award-winning addition to Perth’s famous park.

Would you queue up to play in bushland? The designers of Naturescape certainly think so. They've taken a modern sculpture of a chrysalis and used it at the entrance to provide shade for the crowds who may be waiting for their turn to enter the playspace. Numbers of entrants are limited in peak periods, so it's possible that people would wait for a while to give their kids a chance to play in a natural environment.

At over 1000 acres, Kings Park and Botanic Garden is one of the largest inner-city parklands in the world. Within walking distance of the CBD, it overlooks the Swan River and contains grassy parklands, botanic gardens and native bush. It also has a number of play spaces, and this one (whose name has been sold out to a multinational metals and mining corporation) looks the least like a traditional playground.

Naturescape provides a comprehensive "bush" experience for urban families. There are even snakes about!

Today Calista is determined to navigate us around the layout with the help of the vague map.

Great ironstone boulders, stony paths, giant logs, water courses, piles of rocks and cleverly crafted hidey-holes are nestled among Australian native trees. The site was originally planted as an arboretum in 1962 and only opened as a playspace in late 2011.

A large concrete bed is filled with this very coarse sand — dolomite, perhaps? — providing a new sensation and texture for children who may only be accustomed to beach-sand.

One section of the bush has four piles of industrial metal and a sign briefing children to build four different bush-cubbies with different layouts, materials and entrances.

Manou joins us for a little picnic in the shade of a tunnel.

Steel boardwalks (is that an oxymoron?) link different spaces. The ironstone boulders were moved here from Jarndrumnhna in the East Pilbara Region of Western Australia.

Steel "nests" in the Prickly Thicket await children's adornment with the natural materials that surround them.

A "gully" walled by iron zig-zags below ground-height and bounces our voices back at us as we chase each other along its length.

The thick iron corrugate connects to each other with overlapping lips.

Lana has a good go on the slack ropes which are really more suitable for older children. They are suspended from upside-down trees.

Three towers ("tree hides") provide intense climbing opportunities.

Although there are water-ways within Naturescape, the water quality is not monitored and thus swimming or drinking is forbidden. It’s easier to forbid something than to actually act to make it safe (as a parent, I still fall into that trap). But at least the sign-designers display a sense or humour.

Phrased this way, the sign is still authoritative without being overbearing.

But paddling *is* permitted in Paperbark Creek! A stony bottom makes it easy to navigate the shallows.

In another section, a shallow dish is hollowed out in a large granite boulder, collecting water from a "spring".

On the way out, we stop to examine the tiny white and pink buds of the Geraldton wax.

Our girls were interested in the different areas of Naturescape, but not thrilled by it. We’re used to playing in the real bush and in this playspace, the artificial elements were more appealing than the natural features. However, Naturescape is an excellent addition to Perth’s botanic gardens and certainly provides an opportunity to correct young urbanites’ “nature deficit disorder” (the term popularised by Richard Louv) and cited as an inspiration for the project.

Please note, Naturescape is not open on Mondays. We’ve already been there twice — on Mondays — and have had to look for other options (not so hard in Kings Park). Aisha’s theory is that the play area is so good that they close it weekly so that the people who work here can enjoy it! She may be right!

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1890
Fri, 05 Jul 2013 12:47:31 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-07-05:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/e4715e58cefee2400db368fd5739fcd1Adjusting to a new journeyToday I learned that we’ll be in the city for the rest of the month. It’s especially ironic because I’ve been looking forward to driving away from Perth even before I arrived here.

We stop one evening to enjoy the lights of Perth from the southern side of the river. The pink building on the right changes colour, much to the delight of our girls!

Months ago, when I was forecasting our trip to Indonesia and our return from the tropics to Perth’s winter, I always added “We’ll head north right away to escape the cold.” In doing so, I was investing myself in an imaginary future that I couldn’t actually control.

Since we’ve arrived back, I’ve been itching to take our bus for a good, long drive into the desert. I’ve been vacillating between heading towards Geraldton and Kalgoorlie, and the anticipation of each has kept me inspired.

Clearly, I still have to learn to let go of the future and simply watch it unfold in front of us. Because my predictions were wrong. We’re staying in Perth for July.

The girls have had their dental check-up through the school health service. We need to return to the dentist for a follow-up visit, and the next available appointment was at the very end of July. So here we are!

Note to Australian homeschoolers: to access dental care, simply call your closest school dental service. Any child of school age (registered or not) is eligible for treatment.

Although I’m reluctant to linger in the winter temperatures, the girls are doing fine with the colder days and nights. We rug up well (and occasionally the girls wear socks and shoes!) and take advantage of the sunshine where we can find it.

This extra time in Perth will give us an opportunity to turn certain acquaintances into friends and spend more time with my mother. There’s also a vibrant conscious community in Fremantle, a well-connected network of homeschoolers and many artistic and inspirational people here that I’d like to know better. It’ll be good to linger, surely, and who knows what will happen next?!

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1889
Thu, 04 Jul 2013 12:12:37 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-07-05:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/77fac2f1e804286cad0b9036f010979dThe calm before the holidaysWhen visiting a city, I try to time our outings to children’s attractions so that we’re visiting during school hours. I’m highly aware that this is the last week of the school term and so we’ve been prioritising some places that will get busy when holidays start at the end of this week.

Ever since we left Indonesia, the girls have been asking to go for a swim. Yesterday we visited the newly revamped Beatty Park complex in North Perth which has several pools, a terrific kids’ play area with fountains and spouts and two large slides as well as several toddler-sized ones.

"This rainbow snake is my friend," says Lana. Because it's the middle of a school-day, the pools are almost deserted.

The girls were thrilled to be back in the water again. Lana is the only one who isn’t swimming confidently, and that’s more because she believes she needs the flotation in her suit than an actual lack of skill. Slowly, I’ll coax her out of her float-suit, and then she’ll discover she can swim just fine.

The girls pose in front of the zoo entrance in a re-creation of the photo I took four years ago when we last visited Perth Zoo.

We like to see animals in action, and there's something extremely satisfying about watching the king of the jungle hack up a hairball!

Lana cheerfully greets the giraffe (and the zebras) in this pen.

Apart from the animals, we also like examining the interesting plants that are growing in the zoo. Many exotic species are labelled, answering our questions, but others — like these exquisite fungi — remain anonymous and mysterious.

The girls really took their time while going through the Nocturnal House. Everyone was talking in whispers and identifying the creatures they could see in the dim, red lights. I was particularly impressed by Lana who correctly identified a spotted quoll and took me back several enclosures to show me another one the same — albeit from another part of the country. Even a three years old, Lana understands the complexities of the world around her in a way that I often don’t give her credit for.

In Melbourne, we purchased an annual zoo membership that gives us unlimited entry to the main zoos around the country, and so when the girls were more hungry for food than for looking at animals, it was easy to walk back out to our bus. In the bus, the girls’ imaginations were fired up from the animals they had seen and they started some great games and opted not to return to look at more animals today.

A while back, this sort of “incomplete” outing would have stressed me. We completely missed the Asian animals and the highlight of our last visit — the HUGE croc — but the girls were still satisfied with their experience. I often need to remind myself that the girls’ attitudes in doing something are more important than the motions we go through. Sure, I could have dragged reluctant children around the rest of the zoo, and perhaps they would have snapped out of their moods to enjoy some more animals, but would it have fostered a safe, loving, learning environment? In this case, I don’t think so.

In a recent article for Psychology Today, Peter Gray writes eloquently about the “freedom to quit” and its implications for society. It’s interesting to explore the notion that we should allow ourselves (and our children) freedom in this area despite conventional wisdom that insists “a job half-done is a job not done”. Gray posits that if we gave our children the freedom to quit school, then schools would have to transform into places where children wanted to be! He writes:

When children are truly free to walk away from school, then schools will have to become child-friendly places in order to survive. Children love to learn, but, like all of us, they hate to be coerced, micromanaged, and continuously judged. They love to learn in their own ways, not in ways that others force on them. Schools, like all institutions, will become moral institutions only when the people they serve are no longer inmates. When students are free to quit, schools will have to grant them other basic human rights, such as the right to have a voice in decisions that affect them, the right to free speech, the right to free assembly, and the right to choose their own paths to happiness. Such schools would look nothing at all like the dreary institutions we call “school” today.

Seasoned unschoolers understand that natural-learning children browse through their education, grazing on knowledge and experiences without, perhaps, finishing a decent-sized portion. We recognise that exposure — with a positive attitude — is more important than expertise.

A child who has tasted something and enjoyed it — however little an exposure it was — will be inclined to return to that subject matter again if it suits them (if they need the knowledge later or simply want to follow up on their own line of enquiry). A child who is forced to complete a line of study against their will may tick all the adults’ boxes and may be able to pass an exam on that subject matter, but will their mind be open to exploring the topic again? Certainly, it depends on the individual and on the topic, but personally, I prefer to keep our children free to learn at their own pace with positive attitudes towards life and education!

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1888
Wed, 03 Jul 2013 12:02:03 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-07-05:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/173f399b1bf181976b55222b2490d9f2Manou at the park
My mother lives in Perth, and the girls have enjoyed spending time with her since we got back from Indonesia. She sings, encourages craft activities, creates adventures and often has a treat or two to offer. Today we spent the day together at a new local park — Yokine Playspace.

The spinning disk at Yokine Playspace was the main attraction for our girls.

Lana loves to spin — for long, long times. I get dizzy just watching her go around and around!

Delaney changed her name to Lana (pronounced “Lahna”) in May while we were visiting Indonesia. We were staying in a bungalow on Gili Air with Roselin (David’s mother), and Delaney started insisting that her name was Lana.

Because of her childish accent, I had to seek clarification whether she was Elana or Alana, but it was definitely Lana. And for a week or so, Delaney would forget her moniker too, but she remembered her name had changed. “Delaney is not my name. What is my name?”, she would ask me. Then she began introducing herself as Lana, correcting me if I forgot and correcting her sisters if they slipped up!

Once it became clear that Delaney was adamant about being called Lana, we all made the effort to stop calling her Dell or Delaney. Now we call her Lana easily, and the girls correct each other (and me!) when we forget.

The girls appreciate the extra time with Manou. Aisha, especially, returns to her during the day for cuddles.

Finally a playspace-designer has watched children climb back up the slide and thought about how to make it more fun (and safe)! This is the first slippery-dip with climbing aids that we've encountered.

Featuring lots of wooden sculptures as well as sleek metal equipment, the Yokine Playspace is also notable because it contains the sound sculpture work of Kim Bowman. Some of the instruments haven’t been scaled down for smaller children, which means they tend to be played by the adults instead of the kids, but the wind and percussion instruments built from wood and metal are fun to experiment with.

Our girls loved spending the day outdoors with Manou. We’ve had such bright sunny days here in Perth, perfect for exploring the city’s playspaces! This is the last week before school holidays, so we’ll continue to visit attractions before the crowds and I’ll think about driving us away next week.

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=1886
Mon, 01 Jul 2013 12:02:50 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2013-07-02:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/ec7e9df9a83ce28753a08ae48d6bc02eRangas
In Australia, red-heads are sometimes called “Rangas”, a mocking derivative “orang-utans”. I haven’t managed to pass on my red hair to any of my children, but somehow, Renée gave it to all of hers.

Orang-utans found only 5 minutes from Perth city.

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=632
Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:22:41 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2009-07-15:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/cfb225eb3c291642175c9536c8b4feedHarveys' church
Craig and Renée’s church is one of those exceptional places where you feel welcomed among the general throng. It’s obvious that I’m not the only one who feels comfortable there, because both morning services (8.30 and 10.30) are bursting at the seams and the church is planning extensions to cater for their growing numbers.

The Harveys are quite involved in their church family, volunteering their time for a range of activities and responsibilities.

Renée is interpreting the song into AUSLAN, the language of the Australian Deaf. She completed an advanced level of training and is now a certified interpreter, so she volunteers her skills at church.

Craig is a fantastic drummer and plays at church. He has given lessons in the past and is waiting for Keegan to be old enough to learn properly.

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http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=539
Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:50:19 GMTlaurentag:www.sparklingadventures.com,2009-03-04:65b57c684927c5345ddc391e51cfcade/800c83f612032edf135efb1e096e6e54Here we are! (Fishers + Harveys, March 2009)
We decided to take some family pictures after church today.

Man, it’s hard for me to get a happy family snap! Here’s our best shot:

I really wanted a beautiful family picture, but we couldn't get a pleasant expression out of Aisha!